The Fifth Additional District Court in Coimbatore has directed the District Collector to bear the costs incurred in criminal cases after repeated non-appearance of Additional Public Prosecutor led to adjournments despite the presence of witnesses and the accused. The order comes amid delays in appointing government prosecutors to district courts.
Coimbatore: The Fifth Additional District Court in Coimbatore on Tuesday directed the Coimbatore District Collector to deposit costs in multiple criminal cases after Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) failed to appear for the hearings, resulting in repeated adjournments despite the presence of witnesses and the accused.
Court sources said the cumulative costs imposed in nearly 10 such cases amounted to more than ₹50,000.
The development comes as newly appointed Government law officers are yet to formally assume charge in district courts. Although 24 Government Pleaders and Additional Public Prosecutors have reportedly been appointed, they are yet to receive formal appointment orders, preventing them from appearing before the courts. As a result, proceedings in several criminal cases have been affected.
In one case relating to a murder reported in Karumathampatti, which has been pending before the Fifth Additional District Court for nearly a decade, the accused was produced before the court and a doctor had travelled from Kerala to depose as a prosecution witness.
However, in the absence of the Additional Public Prosecutor, the prosecution could not examine the witness. Observing that the adjournment was solely due to the prosecution's failure to appear, Judge Sivakumar directed the Coimbatore District Collector to deposit ₹10,000 within a week. The court further directed that the amount be paid towards the doctor's travel expenses.
In another criminal case registered by the Race Course Police Station, five accused appeared before the court for trial, while a police sub-inspector had travelled from Tiruvarur to give evidence.
As the Additional Public Prosecutor was absent, the case could not proceed. Observing that both the accused and the prosecution witness had been put to unnecessary inconvenience, Judge Sivakumar directed the State Government, represented through the Coimbatore District Collector, to deposit ₹9,000 before the court within a week.
The court further ordered that ₹1,000 each be paid as compensation to the five accused and ₹4,000 to the police sub-inspector who had appeared as a prosecution witness.
Court sources said similar orders were passed in several other criminal cases listed before the Fifth Additional District Court on the same day due to the absence of Additional Public Prosecutors. In nearly 10 such cases, the court imposed costs on the District Collector, with the cumulative amount reported to be over ₹50,000.
Earlier in the day, S. Gopalakrishnan, Secretary of the AIADMK Advocates’ Wing (Coimbatore Rural North), alleged that the absence of Government law officers after the previous panel’s tenure ended on June 30 had disrupted court proceedings across Coimbatore district. He urged the Home Department to expedite appointments and claimed that over 20 advocates had appeared before courts without formal appointment orders.
source: SimpliCity News Team
Court sources said the cumulative costs imposed in nearly 10 such cases amounted to more than ₹50,000.
The development comes as newly appointed Government law officers are yet to formally assume charge in district courts. Although 24 Government Pleaders and Additional Public Prosecutors have reportedly been appointed, they are yet to receive formal appointment orders, preventing them from appearing before the courts. As a result, proceedings in several criminal cases have been affected.
In one case relating to a murder reported in Karumathampatti, which has been pending before the Fifth Additional District Court for nearly a decade, the accused was produced before the court and a doctor had travelled from Kerala to depose as a prosecution witness.
However, in the absence of the Additional Public Prosecutor, the prosecution could not examine the witness. Observing that the adjournment was solely due to the prosecution's failure to appear, Judge Sivakumar directed the Coimbatore District Collector to deposit ₹10,000 within a week. The court further directed that the amount be paid towards the doctor's travel expenses.
In another criminal case registered by the Race Course Police Station, five accused appeared before the court for trial, while a police sub-inspector had travelled from Tiruvarur to give evidence.
As the Additional Public Prosecutor was absent, the case could not proceed. Observing that both the accused and the prosecution witness had been put to unnecessary inconvenience, Judge Sivakumar directed the State Government, represented through the Coimbatore District Collector, to deposit ₹9,000 before the court within a week.
The court further ordered that ₹1,000 each be paid as compensation to the five accused and ₹4,000 to the police sub-inspector who had appeared as a prosecution witness.
Court sources said similar orders were passed in several other criminal cases listed before the Fifth Additional District Court on the same day due to the absence of Additional Public Prosecutors. In nearly 10 such cases, the court imposed costs on the District Collector, with the cumulative amount reported to be over ₹50,000.
Earlier in the day, S. Gopalakrishnan, Secretary of the AIADMK Advocates’ Wing (Coimbatore Rural North), alleged that the absence of Government law officers after the previous panel’s tenure ended on June 30 had disrupted court proceedings across Coimbatore district. He urged the Home Department to expedite appointments and claimed that over 20 advocates had appeared before courts without formal appointment orders.
source: SimpliCity News Team